Wondo fails to tie MLS scoring record as San Jose ends season with a 2-1 defeat in Seattle

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Chris Wondolowski was disappointed in July when the Earthquakes fell to the Seattle Sounders. The Quakes lost in Seattle on Sunday after giving up two goals in the final 12 minutes. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Chris Wondolowski failed to score in the regular-season finale Sunday and will have to wait until next year to become Major League Soccer’s all-time leading scorer.

Peruvian Raul Ruidiaz had better luck, scoring two goals in the final 12 minutes as the Seattle Sounders FC rallied to a 2-1 victory over the Earthquakes on a rainy October day in the Emerald City.

The international striker got his 10th goal of the season in the 93rd minute to give the Sounders (18-11-5, 59 points) a first-round playoff bye. Ruidiaz scored nine goals in the last nine games to propel Seattle into second place in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, San Jose (4-21-9, 21 points) finished as the league’s worst team by a wide margin.

Wondolowski got shutout in the final two games of the season to remain at 144 career goals, one shy of the record held by former San Jose great Landon Donovan.

Baring a trade, Wondolowski, 35, will return after the team picked up the designated player’s option earlier this season. The Danville native scored at least 10 goals in a season for a record ninth-consecutive time despite a reduced role.

The Quakes already have a new coach for 2019 with the hiring of Argentine World Cup competitor Matias Alymeda, who is expected to work with general manager Jesse Fioranelli in overhauling the roster.

The Earthquakes stunned the Sounders in the 64th minute with a Danny Hoesen cross to Wondolowski that deflected off defender Chad Marshall for an own goal.

However, the Quakes couldn’t hold off Seattle, which tied the score in the 79th minute when Cristian Roldan’s cross got behind the defense and found Ruidiaz for an easy goal.

Wondolowski had two chances to tie Donovan’s record in a scoreless first half but didn’t create a serious threat on either one.